THE FOOTNOTES

I went looking for the above Latin expression after thinking about recollections I have which would reflect unfavorably on persons about whom I might write. The expression means “of the dead, only good.” I guess I had sort of an epiphany much like an earlier one in which something told me to stop writing unpleasant things about my relatives.

This thought led me back to my 9th grade Latin class, and one of my favorite teachers, Miss Curtin. Her class was fun, and I guess I was having too much one day and she got sick of it. “Robert! That’s enough!” then she put me in a big closet in the classroom. That was akin to throwing Brer Rabbit into the briar patch.. This was no ordinary closet at Roosevelt Junior High, a big building fronted by massive pillars. This closet had floor to ceiling windows with a great view of every thing and everybody in the street. A comfortable afternoon, free of translations, conjugations and that sort of stuff in the class on the other side of the closet door. Miss Curtin evidently found out right away she could run the class without my help and forgot about me.. The bell finally rang, and she dismissed the class. My confederate classmates cheerfully reminded Miss Curtin that Robert was still locked up. Such hilarity!